Page 26 - Chow Life - Spring 2017_Neat

use is the Canine Health
TABLE 1. MATING PROBABILITY
Information Center (CHIC) (www.
Excellent Good Fair Dysplastic caninehealthinfo.org). It was
Excellent T= 13,694 43,240 8,077 2,255 established by the American Kennel
Club, Canine Health Foundation
N= 13,177 (96%) 40,420 (93%) 7,288 (90%) 1,940 (86%)
(CHF) and the Orthopedic
D= 517 ( 4%) 2,820 (7%) 789 (10%) 315 (14%)
Foundation for Animals. CHIC
is an online registry that works
Good T = 42,045 195,696 45,847 12,724 with parent clubs to establish a
N = 39,465 (94%) 175,840 (90%) 39,766 (87%) 10,159 (80%) panel of testable genetic disorders
D = 2,580 (6%) 19,856 (10%) 7,108 (15%) 2,565 (20%) that each club believes should be
screened for in their breed. The
Fair T= 6,214 41,304 13,475 4,114 strategy underling CHIC is that
dogs achieve CHIC certification
N= 5,611 (90%) 35,407 (86%) 10,772 (80%) 2,985 (73%)
by completing the health-checks.
D= 603 (10%) 5,895 ( 14%) 2,703 (20%) 1,129 (27%) Passing each health test is not
a requirement for certification.
Dysplastic T = 1,569 9,465 3,123 1,582 The CHIC program emphasizes
N = 1,341 (85%) 7,651 (81%) 2,249 (72%) 1,018 (64%) health consciousness, not about
D = 228 (15%) 1,814(19%) 874 (28%) 654 (36%) being faultless. Each Parent club
decides whether to enroll in the
T= total number of progeny, N= number and percent of normal progeny; D= the CHIC program and determine
number and percent dysplastic progeny. the testable genetic disorders for
their breed. For example, one
club might select hip evaluation,
One tool that has a practical use practical guidelines be used when CERF examination, and cardiac
for improving hips is called the making decisions about sires and testing. Another might choose
Mating Probability Table. It was dams. The guidelines are called hips, elbows and thyroid testing.
developed by the OFA and is based the Desirability Check List (Keller, Owners, breeders, and prospective
on 444,451 progeny with known sire 2006). It requires the collection owners can search online for dogs
and dam scores (See Table 1). of information to answer four in the OFA/CHIC database, and
This table provides a practical questions. view their test results. If a dog
approach to risk management. For completes the recommended
example if a breeder had a sire with FIGURE 1. DESIRABILITY testing panel, it receives a CHIC
an “excellent” hip rating (upper left CHECK LIST number regardless of whether
corner of Table 1) and if this dog it passes all of the tests. CHIC
were bred to a female that has a - Frequency of the desired trait is about health consciousness,
“fair” rating for hips, Table 1 shows occurring among the 14 direct not health perfection. As more
that 90% of their offspring would ancestors (3 generations) – Depth testable disorders are identified,
be expected to be normal and 10% of pedigree few dogs will be normal for all
would be expected to be dysplastic. - Frequency of desired trait tests. Another breed tool is the
These data represent breeding occurring among the littermates Orthopedic Foundation for Animals
expectations and not guarantees. of the direct ancestors (3 (OFA: www.offa.org). It has semi-
Hip evaluations are based on generations) – Breadth of open registries for hip dysplasia,
phenotypic information based on pedigree elbow dysplasia, autoimmune
radiographs not DNA. Therefore, - Number of carriers or affected thyroiditis, congenital cardiac
these evaluations are an analysis of littermates and ancestors (3 disease, and patella Luxation. From
the phenotype and are not genetic generations) the OFA web portal you can look
predictions of what a dog might - Number of offspring produced up individual dogs and their health
produce. This means there is always with the desirable and undesirable testing status.
a risk when breeding regardless how traits. Both OFA and CHIC are health
good the radiographic evaluations. registries that allow for open
Table 1 serves to illustrate the disclosure of all health-test results
level of risk one will take just by These two breeder tools, when or semi-open disclosure listing
knowing the status of the sire and used, expand the quality of only normal results. In the United
dam’s hips. In addition information and shift the odds in States, several genetic registries
to the Mating Probability favor of the breeder. have been established to assist
Table, the OFA suggests that A third tool that has broad breeders with genetic disease
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